36
Teaching Strategies GOLD ® Birth rough Kindergarten Touring Guide

Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

.

Citation preview

Page 1: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Teaching Strategies GOLD® Birth Through Kindergarten

Touring Guide

Page 2: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

3 What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?

4 What Are the Teaching Strategies GOLD® Objectives for Development & Learning?

6 How Does Teaching Strategies GOLD® Work?

8 How Does Teaching Strategies GOLD® Help Teachers Make Better Decisions?

10 What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique? Teaching Strategies GOLD® is

12 Research-Based, Valid, and Reliable

14 Leading the Way with Reports

18 Teacher-Friendly

20 Streamlined

22 Supportive of Dual-Language Learners

24 Appropriate for All Children

26 Supportive of Teachers’ Implementation

28 Designed to Include Families

30 Also Available in Print

32 A Unique Approach To Assessment

Contents

Page 3: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

1

Teaching Strategies GOLD®

Dear Colleagues: It is with great pleasure that I introduce Teaching Strategies GOLD®, an exciting resource that supports effective teaching and children’s development and learning. It was created so that teachers finally have an assessment tool that is user-friendly and inclusive of all children—one that enables teachers to increase the accuracy of their assessments while having more time to interact with children. This Touring Guide gives you an inside look at our comprehensive assessment system.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is a seamless system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten. Extensive field tests have shown it to be both valid and reliable. Available online and in print, the system can be used with any developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum. Grounded in 38 research-based objectives that include predictors of school success and are aligned with state early learning standards, Teaching Strategies GOLD® truly helps teachers focus on what matters most for children’s success. It can be used to support all types of learners, including children with special needs and children with advanced knowledge and skills. Because Teaching Strategies GOLD® is a fully bilingual tool, it offers teachers support for assessing the dual-language learners in their classrooms who are learning English and Spanish.

Authentic, ongoing observational assessment is critical to planning appropriate learning experiences and helping children thrive. We think you’ll agree that this comprehensive system will help you meet the strengths, needs, and interests of every child in your class. Enjoy the tour!

Diane Trister DodgeFounder and President

Welcome to

Page 4: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Exciting. Innovative. Comprehensive. For use with any developmentally

appropriate curriculum.

Page 5: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

3

What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?

What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?Teaching Strategies GOLD® is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten, proven to be valid and reliable by extensive field testing. It helps teachers observe children in the context of everyday experiences, which is an effective way to get to know them well and find out what they know and can do.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is based on 38 objectives that include predictors of school success and are aligned with state early learning standards. These objectives are the heart of the system—teachers use them to focus their observations as they gather information to make classroom decisions.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® online has many user-friendly features that help teachers increase the effectiveness of their assessments as they identify children’s developmental levels and describe children’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Research summaries, color-coded progressions of development and learning, online portfolios, and easy-to-generate, state-of-the-art reports are just a few of the tools that save teachers time and help eliminate some of the common challenges associated with assessment. Best of all, Teaching Strategies GOLD® leaves teachers with more time to interact with children.

With Teaching Strategies GOLD® online, teachers can:• useavarietyoftoolstogatherandorganizemeaningfuldataquickly.• createadevelopmentalprofileofeachchildtoanswerthequestions,“Whatdoesthischildknow?Whatishe

or she able to do?” •understandhowtheirobservationsrelatetoimportantobjectivesfordevelopmentandlearningandusethat

understanding to scaffold each child’s learning.•determineifachildismakingprogressandcomparethechild’sknowledge,skills,andbehaviorstothoseofmost

children of his or her age or class/group.•recognizechildrenwhomightbenefitfromspecialhelp,screening,orfurtherevaluation.•generatecomprehensivereportsthatcanbecustomizedeasilyandsharedwithfamilymembersandotherstakeholders.

Page 6: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

4

What Are the Teaching Strategies GOLD® Objectives for Development & Learning?Teaching Strategies GOLD® is grounded in 38 objectives that guide teachers throughout the assessment cycle. They are based on research, include predictors of school success, and are aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework and early learning standards for each state. The objectives are organized into 10 areas of development and learning, including broad developmental areas, content areas, and English language acquisition. Many of the objectives also include dimensions that guide teachers’ thinking about various aspects of that objective, and help clarify what the objective addresses.

SOciaL–EmOTiOnaL

1. Regulates own emotions and behaviors

a. Manages feelings

b. Follows limits and expectations

c. Takes care of own needs appropriately

2. Establishes and sustains positive relationships

a. Forms relationships with adults

b. Responds to emotional cues

c. Interacts with peers

d. Makes friends

3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

a. Balances needs and rights of self and others

b. Solves social problems

PhySicaL

4. Demonstrates traveling skills

5. Demonstrates balancing skills

6. Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills

7. Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination

a. Uses fingers and hands

b. Uses writing and drawing tools

LanGUaGE

8. Listens to and understands increasingly complex language

a. Comprehends language

b. Follows directions

9. Uses language to express thoughts and needs

a. Uses an expanding expressive vocabulary

b. Speaks clearly

c. Uses conventional grammar

d. Tells about another time or place

10. Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills

a. Engages in conversations

b. Uses social rules of language

cOGniTivE

11. Demonstrates positive approaches to learning

a. Attends and engages

b. Persists

c. Solves problems

d. Shows curiosity and motivation

e. Shows flexibility and inventiveness in thinking

12. Remembers and connects experiences

a. Recognizes and recalls

b. Makes connections

13. Uses classification skills

14. Uses symbols and images to represent something not present

a. Thinks symbolically

b. Engages in sociodramatic play

Page 7: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

LiTEracy

15. Demonstrates phonological awareness

a. Notices and discriminates rhyme

b. Notices and discriminates alliteration

c. Notices and discriminates smaller and smaller units of sound

16. Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet

a. Identifies and names letters

b. Uses letter–sound knowledge

17. Demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses

a. Uses and appreciates books

b. Uses print concepts

18. Comprehends and responds to books and other texts

a. Interacts during read-alouds and book conversations

b. Uses emergent reading skills

c. Retells stories

19. Demonstrates emergent writing skills

a. Writes name

b. Writes to convey meaning

maThEmaTicS

20. Uses number concepts and operations

a. Counts

b. Quantifies

c. Connects numerals with their quantities

21. Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes

a. Understands spatial relationships

b. Understands shapes

22. Compares and measures

23. Demonstrates knowledge of patterns

SciEncE anD TEchnOLOGy

24. Uses scientific inquiry skills

25. Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things

26. Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

27. Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment

28. Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

SOciaL STUDiES

29. Demonstrates knowledge about self

30. Shows basic understanding of people and how they live

31. Explores change related to familiar people or places

32. Demonstrates simple geographic knowledge

ThE arTS

33. Explores the visual arts

34. Explores musical concepts and expression

35. Explores dance and movement concepts

36. Explores drama through actions and language

EnGLiSh LanGUaGE acqUiSiTiOn

37. Demonstrates progress in listening to and understanding English

38. Demonstrates progress in speaking English

What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?

5

Page 8: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

6

How Does Teaching Strategies GOLD® Work? Teaching Strategies GOLD® supports teachers through every step of the ongoing assessment cycle. Every day of the year, Teaching Strategies GOLD® helps teachers understand what to focus on, why it’s important, how to gather and interpret assessment information, and how to use that information to plan meaningful learning experiences.

Observe and Collect Facts Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers easy-to-use tools to help teachers focus their observations of children, documentfacts,andorganizetheinformation.Optional tools like Assessment Opportunity Cards™ and the On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool help teachers streamline their documentation. Electronic portfolios offer a generous amount of storage, allowingteacherstoupload,organizeandsecurelystore photos, videos, and samples of children’s work.

Summarize, Plan, and CommunicateReports, the activity library, and weekly planning forms are just a few of the tools that help teachers summarize,plan,andshareinformationwithfamilies, administrators, and other stakeholders. Teachers have everything they need to discuss each child’s development and learning with others, and to make informed decisions about the best ways to support each child’s development.

Week of: Teacher:

Study: Balls Exploring the Topic: What do we know about balls? What do we want to find out?

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Interest

Areas

Library: books about

balls

Computer: ebook

version of The Little

Red Hen

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Motivation to Read

Technology and Digital

Devices

Toys and Games: ball

collection

Computer: ebook

version of Have a Ball

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Fine-Motor Development

Technology and Digital Devices

Toys and Games:

containers to organize

the ball collection

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Sentences and Structure

Classification and Patterns

Toys and Games:

containers to organize

the ball collection

Computer: ebook

version of Have a Ball

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Classification and Patterns

Technology and Digital Devices

Toys and Games: box with

lid; interesting collection

of small balls

Computer: ebook version

of The Little Red Hen

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Social Competence

Vocabulary

Opening

Routine

Look Who’s Here!

Pledges of Allegiance

to the United States

and Texas state flags

A moment of silence

Look Who’s Here!

Pledges of Allegiance

to the United States and

Texas state flags

A moment of silence

Look Who’s Here!

Pledges of Allegiance to

the United States and

Texas state flags

A moment of silence

Look Who’s Here!

Pledges of Allegiance

to the United States and

Texas state flags

A moment of silence

Look Who’s Here!

Pledges of Allegiance to

the United States and

Texas state flags

A moment of silence

Large

Group

Game: What’s Inside

the Box?

Discussion and Shared

Writing: Types of

Balls

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Self Control

Vocabulary

Song: “She Brought a

Football”

Discussion and Shared

Writing: Share a Ball

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Phonological Awareness

Music

Game: What’s Inside

the Box?

Discussion and Shared

Writing: What Can We

Do With Balls?

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Self Control

Speaking (Conversation)

Song: “Clap a Friend’s

Name”

Discussion and Shared

Writing: What Do We

Know About Balls?

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Motivation to Read

Music

Movement: Bouncing a

Ball

Discussion and Shared

Writing: What Do We

Want to Find Out About

Balls?

TX Guidelines Skill Areas:

Self Control

Sentences and Structure

Page 9: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

7

What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?

Evaluate Teaching Strategies GOLD® guides teachers through the crucial process of evaluating children’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors. Color-coded progressions of development and learning make it easy for teachers to compare each child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors to widely held expectations for most children of the same age or class/grade. To make evaluation simpler and easier, all documentation that teachers tagged with the objectives on the documentation screen are gathered on this screen as evidence to help teachers make their decisions.

Analyze and Respond Teaching Strategies GOLD® provides teachers with the support they need to answer the questions,“Whatdoesthisinformationmean?”and“WhatdoIdonext?”Teachers“tag”eachpiece of documentation with related objectives. Often, one rich piece of documentation can address many objectives and dimensions— there’snoneedtoenterauniqueobservationforevery objective. When it comes time to evaluate children’s progress, the system will use these tagged objectives and dimensions to help teachers make informed decisions.

Page 10: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

8

How Does Teaching Strategies GOLD® Help Teachers Make Better Decisions? To help children progress, teachers must understand what children currently know and can do, what steps they are ready to take next, and how to help them take those steps. Teaching Strategies GOLD® makes it easier for teachers to gather information in the classroom and communicate with families.

Progressions of development and learning—a central feature of Teaching Strategies GOLD®—enable teachers to understand how children’s observable behaviors relate to the objectives. They also help teachers predict likely next steps.

Many of the objectives include dimensions, which are more specific descriptions of aspects of the objective. Indicators and examples help teachers know what to look and listen for as they observe and interact—and how to interpret what they see and hear.

The clear, user-friendly progressions help teachers know exactly where to begin and continue tracking the progress of each child. Detailed examples make it easier for teachers to understand the indicators and effectively rateeachchild’sknowledge,skills,andbehaviors.Eachprogressionincludes“in-between”levelstohelpteachers document children’s skills that are emerging but not yet fully developed. Embedded tips and audio and video clips provide immediate support with content and technology as teachers use the progressions.

Indicators and Examples

Page 11: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Color-Coded Progressions

Teaching Strategies GOLD® progressions have color-coded bands that show widely held expectations for children’s development and learning. Based on research literature, the bands show at what levels most children of a particular age or class/grade are likely to be at the beginning and end of a program year. Because development and learning are uneven and overlapping, the color bands also overlap, helping teachers guide their expectations realistically. Teachers see the full spectrum of development at once, enabling them to work with any child, at any level of development.

Supports English- and Dual-Language Learners

• ThetoolsupportsassessmentinbothEnglishandSpanish.With

Teaching Strategies GOLD® teachers can view all assessment

features and generate many reports in both English and Spanish.

• Thetoolscanbeusedtomeasurechildren’sprogressinSpanishlanguage and literacy.

• Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers teachers the option of using both English and Spanish language and literacy objectives, providing a more complete profile for dual-language learners.

• A“HomeLanguageSurvey”helpsteacherslearnmoreaboutthelanguagesspokenateachchild’shome,aswellasthelanguagethe

child usually speaks at school.

• Twodedicatedobjectivesfocusspecificallyonchildren’sacquisition

of receptive and expressive skills in English. These objectives may be

adapted to assess progress in acquiring any second language.

What Is Teaching Strategies GOLD®?

Red Birth to 1 year

Orange 1 to 2 years

Yellow 2 to 3 years

Green Preschool 3

Blue Pre-K 4

Purple Kinder garten

9

Page 12: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

10

Research-based. Streamlined. Valid and reliable.

Page 13: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

11

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD®Unique?Every feature of Teaching Strategies GOLD® was designed with teachers in mind. They save teachers time; help them make effective decisions as they rate each child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors; and focus their efforts on what is most important for each child’s learning and development.

The tools and resources of Teaching Strategies GOLD® enable teachers to implement a comprehensive, complete system that directly links curriculum and assessment. Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers state-of-the-art, interactive options that enable teachers and administrators to run comprehensive reports with just a few clicks of the mouse. It also offers embedded professional development support and meaningful ways to involve families in the assessment process. It builds in support for every type of learner, with specific strategies and resources for working with children with advanced knowledge and skills and children with disabilities. Dedicated objectives and bilingual tools enhance the assessment of English- and dual-language learners.

Let’s take a closer look at the features that make Teaching Strategies GOLD®unique.

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 14: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

12

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Research-Based, Valid, and ReliableTeaching Strategies GOLD® presents a complete assessment solution because it is research-based, valid, and reliable. It offers teachers a clear and effective way to take the guesswork out of the assessment process. With Teaching Strategies GOLD®, teachers don’t have to wonder whether they’re focusing on what’s most important for children’s development and learning. That’s because Teaching Strategies GOLD’s® unique features and tools help them know exactly what data to collect and how to interpret it—meaning less guessing and more reliable outcomes. And, since Teaching Strategies GOLD® is aligned with the Common Core State Standards, state early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework, educators know that all progressions point toward school success.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is thoroughly grounded in the most current research about how children develop and learn. Teachers can access a wealth of information that provides an essential base for supporting their assessment decisions. Comprehensive summaries of important research findings explain why each objective is important and how it is a predictor of school success. The practical teaching strategies that are provided in relation to each objective reflect the most current thinking about best practices in early childhood education. These pages also include special considerations for English- and dual-language learners and children with special needs, as well as cultural considerations. With Teaching Strategies GOLD®,teacherscanbeconfidentthatthey’reequippedwithallthenecessaryinformation for making classroom decisions.

Research- Based

Page 15: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Valid and Reliable

Interrater Reliability Certification

Teaching Strategies GOLD® has been rigorously and extensively field tested by independent researchers who measured the reliability and validity of the tool. That field testing, conducted at sites carefully selected to be representative of a national sample, determined that Teaching Strategies GOLD® is both reliable and valid. Teachers’ ratings are consistent and stable, and Teaching Strategies GOLD® can be used to effectively assess children from birth through kindergarten. Research for Teaching Strategies GOLD® is ongoing, so please visit TeachingStrategies.com/GOLD for updates.

Interrater reliability practice and certification helps early childhood educators increase effectiveness when they identify the children’s levels of development and learning. Teachers seeking interrater reliabilitycertificationanalyzeonlineportfolios.Theirassessmentdecisionsarethencomparedwith those of Teaching Strategies GOLD® developers, with an agreement goal of 80% or better. Teachers can participate in certification any time it’s convenient for them, from any location. When reliability is achieved, teachers can stand behind assessment decisions with greater confidence.

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

13

Page 16: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

14

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Leading the Way with Reports Teaching Strategies GOLD® features state-of-the-art interactive reporting for teachers and administrators. The reporting options are simple to use and understand, while allowing the user to easily visualize each child’s progress. In addition to interactive reports, Teaching Strategies GOLD® also offers reports for planning and reports for parents, all of which are designed to be used on an ongoing basis to help guide, instruct, and inform. Many of the reports can be generated in both English and Spanish.

The“WidelyHeldExpectationsReport”comparesinformationabouttheknowledge,skills,andbehaviors of an individual child, class, or other group with widely held expectations for children of the same age or same class/grade. It tells teachers and administrators whether children’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors are below, meeting, or exceeding expectations for most children of the same age or class/grade.Thereportcanbecustomizedinanumberofways,suchasbyincorporatinginformationaboutsupport services or looking specifically at an area, objective, or dimension. This helps ensure that stakeholders are getting the clear picture they need.

Widely Held Expectations ReportInteractIve report

Page 17: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Teachers and administrators must feel confident that their assessment system can effectively measure the knowledge, skills, and behaviors of each child and show how the data relates to particular state standards.The“AlignmentReport”enablesteachersandadministratorstocollectuniversalchildoutcomesdata,sotheycanquicklyseethealignmentofeachoftheTeaching Strategies GOLD® objectives to the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework or the early learning standards of a particular state. The report provides easy access to information that’s essential to outcomes evaluation, such as the number of children who received support services. In relation to specific state standards, educators can easily view the percentages of children whose skills are emerging and children who have achieved the standards.

Alignment ReportInteractIve report

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

15

Page 18: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

16

Teaching Strategies GOLD® features a suite of reports designed to provide teachers with continuous informationaboutchildren’sprogress.Thesereportsincludethe“IndividualChildReport,”which enablesteacherstoviewtheprogressofindividualchildren,andthe“ClassProfileReport,”which assists with planning for groups of children who are at similar levels. Teachers can generate these and otherplanningreportsonanongoingbasis,andusethedatatoinforminstructionandindividualize learning experiences for each child.

Reports for Planning

Performance and Growth ReportInteractIve report

The“PerformanceandGrowthReport”providesasnapshotofchildren’sdevelopmentandlearning over multiple checkpoint periods. Outcome data can be combined in a variety of ways to show children’sperformanceandgrowththroughouttheacademicyearattheorganizational,program, andsitelevels,orwithinclassrooms.Thereportshelpteachersanswertheseimportantquestions: “Isthischild(orgroupofchildren)meetingend-of-yearexpectations?”and“Isthischild(or groupofchildren)demonstratingprogresstowardmeetingexpectations?”Withthisinformation, administratorscanunderstandhowtheirorganizations,programs,sites,orclassesaredoingover timeandeasilyseewhereadditionalsupportmightberequired.

Page 19: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Family Report The“DevelopmentandLearningReport”sharesinformationwithfamilymembersbyproviding a narrative for every objective or dimension. The report helps family members understand their child’s skills, knowledge, and behaviors, and it identifies likely next steps in the child’s development andlearning(seepage29).

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

17

Page 20: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

18

Progressions of Development and Learning

Interactive Support, Every Step of the Way

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Teacher-FriendlyTeaching Strategies GOLD® is an extremely teacher-friendly early childhood assessment system for one simple reason: It doesn’t just tell teachers what to do; it explains why particular information is important, and how they can use assessment information to help children progress.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers progressions for the objectives in the major areas of child development andlearning(social-emotional,physical,language,andcognitive);thecontentareasofliteracyand mathematics;andtheareaofEnglishlanguageacquisition.Whenteachersusetheprogressionstounderstand thetypicalorderinwhichchildren’sskillsadvance,theycansequencelearningexperiencesappropriately. Knowing exactly where to begin means knowing how best to help each individual child progress.

To support assessment decisions, Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers audio explanations and video examples for each of the objectives. A simple mouse click leads to more detailed information that can help teachers understand how their observations relate to indicators. Teaching Strategies GOLD® onlinealsorecognizeswhatpartoftheassessmentcycleteachersareworkingon,anditoffers helpful tips and suggestions related to that work.

Page 21: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Just a Few Clicks To Find Out What, Why, and How

Teaching Strategies GOLD® summarizesimportantresearchfindingstohelpteachersunderstandwhatobjectives are important, and why, and also gives them the information they need to articulate their importance to those outside of the classroom, such as administrators and parents. Teaching strategies for each objective show how to help children progress.

To support teachers in their efforts to promote children’s development and learning, the Teaching Strategies GOLD® activity library contains over 1,000 developmentally appropriate activities in English and Spanish. It is also searchable, so teachers can easily pinpoint those related to particular objectives or skills. To make activity selection even easier for teachers, Teaching Strategies GOLD® can also recommend activities on the basis of information that has been entered in the system for a child. The system also provides a family version of each activity, which inserts the child’s name directly into the activity.

A Searchable Library of Developmentally Appropriate Activities

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

19

Page 22: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

20

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is StreamlinedTeaching Strategies GOLD® offers many features and tools that help make the assessment process efficient.

Online Portfolios

Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers teachers the ability to create online portfolios and easily upload scans, photos, observation notes, and video clips. Including multimedia examples is a simple way to document more than one aspect of a child’s development and learning. With generous storage space for large files, teachers can upload a wide variety of documentation to support each child’s developmental profile.

Minimal Navigation and Simplified Fields

Withminimalnavigationrequiredandjustafewsimplefieldstofillout,theassessmentprocess is streamlined, saving teachers valuable time. When it is time to make informed decisions, all the information teachers need—objectives, dimensions, indicators, examples, and expectations—appears on one screen. There’s no need to navigate among screens to gather the necessary information.

Page 23: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

21

Teaching Strategies GOLD® provides optional user-friendly tools that help teachers capture important informationquicklyandeasily.Assessment Opportunity Cards™, which include directions for short, playful, curriculum-embedded classroom experiences, provide additional opportunities for teachers to observe children’s literacy and numeracy skills. The On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool is a convenient checklist thathelpsteachersquicklycaptureinformationaboutselectedobjectives,eliminatingtheneedforteachers to create their own checklists.

Observation Tools

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 24: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

22

Home Language Survey

The“HomeLanguageSurvey”helpsteachersgatherandrecordusefulinformationaboutthelanguage(s)children hear and speak at home and at school. This information assists teachers in planning ways to support children’s language and literacy development and deciding when to use Objectives 37 and 38. Teachersdiscussthequestionswithparentsorotherfamilymembers(withtheassistanceofinterpreters, ifnecessary),andtheydeterminetheanswerstogether.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Supportive of Dual-Language Learners Teaching Strategies GOLD® can be used to assess children who are developing skills in more than one language. Now programs no longer need to rely on a separate tool to assess the English- and dual-language learners in their classrooms.

Fully Bilingual System

The content of the Teaching Strategies GOLD® teacher site is available in both English and Spanish. Teacherssimplyselect“ViewSpanish”toviewallscreensinSpanishandmonitorchildren’sprogress in relation to all 38 objectives. Many reports can also be generated in Spanish. This feature provides extra support to programs that provide instruction in Spanish and/or to teachers who prefer to read in Spanish. Teaching Strategies GOLD® can also be used to support dual-language learners who speak a language other than Spanish or English because many of the objectives, such as physical and social-emotionalobjectives,arenotlanguage-dependent.TheEnglishlanguageacquisitionobjectivescan beadaptedtoassessprogressinacquiringanysecondlanguage.

Page 25: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

23

Teaching Strategies GOLD®includestwoobjectivesthatfocusonEnglishlanguageacquisition.TheyweredevelopedbynationallyrecognizedexpertDr.PattonTabors.Objective37,“Demonstratesprogressinlistening to and understanding English,” helps measure children’s receptive language skills. Objective 38, “DemonstratesprogressinspeakingEnglish,”helpsmeasuretheirexpressivelanguageskills.

Objectives for English Language Acquisition

Spanish Language and Literacy Objectives

Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers Spanish language and literacy objectives to help teachers scaffold children’s learning in these areas. These objectives are similar to the English language and literacy objectives,buttheyhavebeenadaptedtoreflectpatternsofdevelopmentuniquetoSpanishlanguageand literacy. Teachers have the option of using both English and Spanish language and literacy objectives, assessing learning in both languages and getting a more complete profile of a child’s development.

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 26: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

24

All children benefit from support, including children who are advanced learners. Because the Teaching Strategies GOLD® assessment system provides a picture of predictable development and learning over more than six years, children whose skills and abilities are advanced for their age are still able to show progress. Teachers use the progressions to identify a child’s current ability level, as well as the next step along the progression for each dimension. This information helps teachers scaffold children’s learning and ensure the child stays challenged, stimulated, and engaged. Also, since Teaching Strategies GOLD® assesses all areas of development, teachers may discover an area that still needs strengthening for a child, even if that child is advanced in other tasks.

Support for Advanced Learners

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Appropriate for All ChildrenTeaching Strategies GOLD® is a strengths-based tool that uses universal language to reflect an understanding that all children show what they know in various ways. To ensure that all children—including those with disabilities—are making progress, teachers recognize the many emergent skills that precede the development of typical skills from birth through kindergarten.

Page 27: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Teaching Strategies GOLD® can be used successfully to assess children with disabilities. Here’s why: GOLD explains what progress looks like, so every child can show strengths. It focuses on a child’s current developmental levels and the progress the child makes over time. And, because GOLD is strengths-based, children can demonstrate skills and behaviors in many ways, even if there are developmental delays in a particular area.

Many features make Teaching Strategies GOLD® uniqueasanassessmenttoolforchildrenwithdisabilities:

• Teaching Strategies GOLD® isfullyalignedwithOSEP(OfficeofSpecialEducationPrograms)outcomes,and automatically converts the information entered from GOLD to the seven-point scale on the Child OutcomesSummaryForm(COSF).ThisallowsadministratorstogenerateOSEPmandatedreports.Plus, Teaching Strategies GOLD® developers worked directly with the Early Childhood Outcomes Center (ECO)onthecrosswalktoensureitseffectivenessforassessingchildrenwithdisabilities.

•TheseamlessnatureofTeaching Strategies GOLD® offers teachers a comprehensive picture of development and learning over a child’s life from birth through kindergarten. Teachers begin the year with a clear idea of the child’s performance and growth over time. By generating reports for children prior to the start of theyear,teachersareabletoindividualizeinstructionforchildrenandusetimeeffectively.

•Teaching Strategies GOLD® objectiveshave“in-between”levelsthatarecriticalforchildrenwithdisabilitiesoranychildwhoseskillsareemergingorneedssupport(physicalsupport,visualsupport,gesturesormodeling).These“in-betweenlevels”helpteachersindicate that a child CAN accomplish a task or demonstrate a skill with appropriate supports. This also provides excellent information to the teacher for scaffolding children’s learning.

•ForchildrenwhohaveIEPs,Teaching Strategies GOLD® online will automatically provide teachers with additional dimensions related to self-care, including feeding, toileting, dressing, and safety. This allows teachers to take a closer look at specific aspects of development that may be especially important for children with disabilities.

Support for Children With Disabilities

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

25

Page 28: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

26

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Supportive of Teachers’ ImplementationTeaching Strategies GOLD® offers many levels of support for teachers as they use the system. From resources and assistance built right into the tool to online and in-person professional development sessions, teachers have the information they need to use Teaching Strategies GOLD® successfully.

Support and Resources Links

Accessiblefromeveryscreen,the“Support”and“Resources”linksprovideawealthofhelpful informationtoassistteachersthroughouttheassessmentprocess.“Support”linksofferhelp withthetechnology,answeringquestionssuchas“HowdoIchangethedocumentation Iamviewing?”or“HowdoIuploadapicture?”“Resources”linksleadtohelpfultools,like Assessment Opportunity Cards™,videotutorials,andsample“WeeklyPlanningForms.”

Page 29: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

27

Online Training Opportunities

Our state-of-the-art online training sessions for Teaching Strategies GOLD® offer professional development options in a convenient electronic format. Teachers and administrators can take advantage of engaging, comprehensive training in a way that’s sure to meet their schedules and budgets.

Our engaging, in-person professional development sessions on Teaching Strategies GOLD® are conductedbythehighlyqualifiedmembers of our Professional Development Network. Sessions are available year-roundatTeachingStrategies’headquarters and on-site in school communities. With targeted sessions for both teachers and administrators, our comprehensive, in-person professional development options guide educators step-by-step through the process of learning to use Teaching Strategies GOLD®.

To ensure that teachers’ implementation is fully supported, Teaching Strategies offers complementary technical assistance at many levels. A basic online training course comesfreewitheachsubscription.Frequent,regularlyscheduled Webinars are available to teachers at no cost. Our Quick-Start Guide provides step-by-step, screen-by-screen guidance on everything from logging in and setting up passwords to entering checkpoint data and running reports. Furthermore, live help is just a phone call away: 800.637.3652.

In-Person Sessions

Additional Free Support

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 30: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

28

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Designed to Include FamiliesSharing information with families about their child’s learning and development is critical to building strong partnerships. Teaching Strategies GOLD® family communication tools promote regular dialogues between schools and homes. Many of the tools for sharing information with families are available in Spanish as well as in English.

Family Central

Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers a dedicated portal for communicating online with families about children’sexperiencesandprogress.Teacherscaninvitefamiliestouse“FamilyCentral”andthensendand receive messages to and from family members who choose to register. All exchanges between teachers and families are saved and searchable. Online calendars help teachers share information about what’s happening in the classroom, and teachers can send resources to help families promote their children’s development and learning at home.

“FamilyConferenceForms”makeiteasierforteachersandfamiliestodevelopamutualunderstandingof each child’s strengths and challenges, and to share expectations for the child’s development and learning.Teachersbegintofillouttheformbysummarizingthechild’sdevelopmentalprogressduringa particular period. The rest of the form is completed during a conference as the teacher and family togetherdecidenextsteps.“FamilyConferenceForms”canbecreatedinEnglishorSpanish,helpingto ensure successful communication. Completed forms can be printed, and they can be shared with families electronically.

Family Conference Forms

Page 31: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

29

Development and Learning Report

The“DevelopmentandLearningReport”wasdesignedforsharinginformationwitheachchild’sfamily. It provides narratives that explain the child’s knowledge, skills, and behaviors in relation to each objective or dimension. Then, on the basis of the child’s developmental levels, it recommends activities for the family todoathometoprovideadditionalsupport.Likeotherdocumentsforfamilies,the“DevelopmentandLearning Report” can be sent electronically.

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 32: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

30

Teaching Strategies GOLD® is Also Available in PrintTeaching Strategies GOLD® is also available in print format in both English and Spanish. The paper components are conveniently packaged in a reusable box so teachers have assessment resources at their fingertips.

Objectives for Development & Learning is a thorough reference volume that explains each domain and objective. It presents the related research and typical progression(s)ofdevelopmentandlearningforeachobjective, expectations for each age or class/grade, and examples of strategies that promote learning.

Teachersusethisbooklettorecord,analyze,andevaluate the information collected about a child—and to document an entire year’s progress in one convenient place.

This convenient checklist helps teachers capture informationquicklyandeffectivelyformultiplechildren on selected objectives. Less time spent taking notes means more time for interacting with children.

Objectives for Development & Learning: Birth Through Kindergarten

Child Assessment Portfolio

On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool

En español

Page 33: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

31

The Objectives for Development & Learning classroom poster beautifully displays the 38objectivesforquickclassroomreference.

Assessment Opportunity Cards™ offer 10 short, playful, curriculum-embedded classroom experiences that are opportunities for observations on particular literacy and numeracy objectives. Each card offers guidance for adjusting the experience for children at different developmental levels.

“FamilyConferenceForms”offeraconvenientway of sharing assessment information with families in a conference setting.

Assessment Opportunity Cards™

Family Conference Form

Classroom Poster

What Makes Teaching Strategies GOLD® Unique?

Page 34: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

32

AUniqueApproachToAssessmentAuthentic, ongoing assessment is critical to planning appropriate learning experiences and helping children succeed—in school and in life.

Teaching Strategies GOLD® offers

• Objectives for development and learning that are aligned with state early learning standards and include predictors of school success so educators can focus on what matters most for children’s development and learning.

• Seamless assessment for children from birth through kindergarten so educators and families can see a child’s progress over time.

• Easy-to-understandprogressionsofdevelopmentandlearning so teachers can accurately assess all children, including those with disabilities.

• Integrated, engaging assessment opportunities focused on literacy and numeracy so teachers can focus their observations on important literacy and numeracy skills—leaving nothing to chance.

• NewEnglishlanguageacquisitionobjectivesdevelopedby Dr. Patton Tabors, as well as Spanish language and literacy objectives so teachers can assess and support dual-language learners in their programs.

• A dedicated online portal through which families can access and contribute information about their child’s learning and development so regular communication between a child’s family and teachers supports the home–school partnership essential to every child’s development and learning.

Page 35: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

33

Supportive. Effective. Time-saving.

Page 36: Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Touring Guide WEB

Copyright © 2011 by Teaching Strategies, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission required for reprinting.

P.O. Box 42243Washington, DC 20015800.637.3652TeachingStrategies.comTeachingStrategies.com

Teaching Strategies GOLD®

TeachingStrategies.com/GOLD